Erich Hoyt’s Modern Classic About Killer Whales

The true story of an acclaimed writer’s seven summers of living (and sometimes swimming) with orcas in the wild near Vancouver

By Janice Harayda

Many popular books about nature have a problem: They’re weak on science but strong on stories, or they’re strong on science but weak on stories. Erich Hoyt offers a rare blend of scientific authority and deep personal engagement in his modern classic Orca: The Whale Called Killer (Camden House, $12.95). First published 25 years ago by Dutton and still in print, this fascinating book tells the true story of the seven summers its author spent living (and sometimes swimming) with killer whales or orcas in the wild near Vancouver. And while I may be biased because Hoyt is a friend, the praise Orca has received from others is even more extravagant than mine. So instead of writing the usual review, I’d like to quote from some of that praise:

“I have never read a better book about whales …” The Philadelphia Inquirer

“Superb … One of the best nature books of the year.” Publishers Weekly

“One of those rare, genuine books about a wild animal.” Nikolaas “Niko” Tinbergen, co-winner of the 1973 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine

“Erich Hoyt’s book is a splendid introduction to one of the most fascinating and charismatic animals in the world.” Sir Peter Scott, Founder, World Wildlife Fund

“Packed with action, [this] is the only [book] I have ever read that treats this glamorous sea predator in depth.” Roger Tory Peterson, naturalist and author of the Peterson Field Guides

A senior research fellow of the Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society, Hoyt has won many awards for his science writing. Those honors include the 2002 Outstanding Book of the Year Award from the American Society of Journalists and Authors for Creatures of the Deep: In Search of the Sea’s Monsters and the World They Live In (Firefly, $40). School Library Journal called Creatures of the Deep “a splendid overview” of undersea life for adults and high school students, adding: “The photographs, sidebars, and unique life-forms presented offer opportune ways of catching the attention of reluctant readers.” Orca is a similarly good choice for both adults and high school students who like science or real-life adventure stories.